Precious Moments
by Boducky
Summary: Abe can't sleep, and he's not the only one! Just a little bit of fluff that popped into my mind.


**Precious Moments**

**Just a little one-shot. I've been reading a wonderful HB story lately (it's called Life and Love a new beginning), and also been staying with family after breaking my ankle. Living with my little nephew again is fun and interesting, and a couple of nights ago, he gave me an idea for a cute story. Hope you like it.**

Abe awoke with a start, heart pounding, blood racing, eyes darting around the room. Then a crushing sense of grief enveloped him. Floating in his tank, he curled up tightly, hugging his knees, willing his breathing to return to normal, willing his heart to stop breaking.

He had seen Hellboy, beaten and bruised almost beyond recognition. The creature he had been fighting was unbelievably strong… stronger than anyone could have imagined. Though the battle had been long, and though the red-skinned demon had fought with all his might against the creature that had killed Liz, it was obvious that Hellboy had finally met his match.

Liz…

She had been the first to fall, caught totally unawares by the creature. In spite of its immense size, the monster was lithe and graceful, almost hypnotic in its movements, and stealthy… very stealthy. With its pitch-black skin, it concealed itself easily in the shadows. And its eyes… could they really be called eyes? Deep within its elongated skull, if one looked directly into its face, one could just make out a dimly glowing red, like two coals in a fire that was almost dead. And the hands were more talon than hand, the sharp, serrated claws easily measuring over 7 inches.

Liz had never stood a chance, and when the creature had cut through her like she were a paper doll, a part of Hellboy died with her. Abe himself had reeled in horror, deeply stricken by the loss to their family. He stood dumbfounded and frozen while the battle between monster and demon waged on. Abe had to move, had to do something… call for help or use his gun against the monster. But his limbs were weighted, movement was impossible. He couldn't even open his mouth to shout a final warning to his brother before…

The creature had batted Hellboy to and fro as though he were a rag doll, bruised him and beaten him senseless. And when finally the red demon had succumbed to his injuries, the black creature picked him up with one hand, brought Hellboy's lolling head towards its fanged mouth, opened its mouth in a terrible, triumphant grin, and then wider, bringing the red demon towards its gaping maw…

_No_, Abe told himself. He had been brought back to reality, floating in his tank once more. He blinked rapidly and looked around him. "No," he said softly, as his body slowly uncurled. He felt weak and dizzy from the sudden rush of emotions, and in a daze laughed weakly to himself. Realising his webbed hands were painfully clenched, Abe flexed his fingers slowly, stretched, and sucked in deep, calming breathes.

He hated those dreams, how terrifyingly vivid they were, how horribly convincing they could be. Dreams of death and loss and grief that were so real, it took him a while to snap back to reality, to remember that everyone was sleeping safely in their beds and not lying dead in some god forsaken place. Abe shook his head, remembering how just moments before, he had been truly mourning his friends, agonizing over what would happen to their young children, wondering how he could find the strength to carry on without them… all for nothing. Thank goodness.

He was now fully awake and had no desire to go back to sleep. With dreams like that, why bother? As he surveyed the darkened room, Abe could tell he would be in for a long night. Perhaps he would try sleeping again in the wee hours of the morning, when the world would start becoming light again. But for now, the merman swam to the surface of his enormous tank, intent on finding something to occupy his mind.

Wandering idly through the library, his fingers drifted over the spines of the old books. Abe stood for a moment, enjoying the familiar smells of old leather and paper. Though their home was relatively new (Johanne had managed to procure a house for them after they had famously left the FBI almost four years ago) many of the objects and scents and memories were the same. Abe, Liz and Hellboy had done their best to make their new home as familiar and comfortable as possible, Johanne had done his best to pull strings in Washington to ensure that the small family was left in relative peace, though still provided for. They now worked as contractors for the FBI, which ensured them a comfortable income and gave them a much greater measure of control over their lives (something that Hellboy enjoyed immensely). Most importantly, on the occasions when all three of them were required, the FBI provided excellent care for the children… his niece and nephew.

Secretly, Abe was glad that not all ties had been severed with their former lives. There were a great number of agents who had become friends over the years, as well as other members on the staff. They were also provided with excellent medical care, which was often required at the end of a tough mission. Abe was very fortunate that one of the doctors on staff also had a degree in marine biology, and had worked with large marine animals in the past. Her specialised knowledge and her access to equipment were perfect for his sometimes unique medical needs.

As he wandered and reminisced, his eyes lingered on a well-read blue book. A book of poetry by various authors. Abe closed his eyes, trying to remember one poem in particular, trying to recall how a soft and lyrical voice had once read their words aloud. Standing there, a wave of sadness and longing washed over him. It had been almost four years since the woman he loved died.

At the time, it had seemed like his world had stopped, like life was something that was happening around him while he remained numb and frozen. Abe remembered being pulled away from the princess' lifeless body, letting himself be led from the underground cavern to the bright world outside. For months, he had gone through the motions of living with a broken heart… but of course, life had a way of reasserting itself.

Speaking of which…

Abe was snapped back to reality once more by a soft sound. Tilting his head, he moved stealthily towards the door, listening intently. There it was again; a quiet, questioning voice.

"Mommy?" Abe smiled and strode towards the door. Poor Liz had been so tired lately, running a household and chasing after two children… well, sometimes it seemed like three children, if one counted Hellboy. Abe did try to help as much as possible without interfering too much. In this case, he decided that it would be alright to intervene and let Liz get some well-deserved sleep.

"Mommy?" the voice quavered again, slightly louder this time. Abe walked quietly down the hallway and slowly opened a bedroom door.

"Hello, darling," he whispered softly. "Can't sleep?" He peered into the room and saw a pair of wide eyes peeking out from under the blankets. The little girl shook her head slightly.

"Can you get Mommy?"

"Alana, darling," Abe said gently, "Mommy's asleep. Can I help you?" He crept into the bedroom, trying not to wake his nephew, Tristan, who was still sound asleep in his bed. Kneeling down beside his niece's bed, he gently ran his fingers over her dark, silky hair.

"Then can you get Daddy? There's something under the bed," the little girl whispered frightfully. Abe's eyes widened slightly. While they had tried to hide the nastiest aspects of their jobs from the children, sometimes they overheard the adults talking about monsters. That, coupled with the natural imagination of a three-year-old child usually lead to one of these night-time adventures.

Abe tried once again to rectify the situation. "Sweetie, Daddy's had a very long day, too. Maybe I can help." Alana paused and gave him an alarmed look.

"_You_, Uncle Abe?" she asked doubtfully. _Ahh… out of the mouths of babes_, he thought. He had always known that he was a very unimposing sight compared to Hellboy, but that had never really bothered the merman. Honestly, who _wouldn't_ be eclipsed by a large, very muscular, red demon with a thundering personality? And while Abe didn't have the same strength and brute force, he was quite capable of taking care of himself… most of the time.

He looked away briefly and mumbled "Thanks for the vote of confidence, darling." Turning back and leaning in close, he whispered "Well, I think I can handle it. You know, I've gone on a lot of missions with your dad. You might be surprised."

"But Daddy beats up all the monsters!" she protested.

Abe sighed, defeated. "I'm carrying a talisman that will protect us from monsters, we'll be fine," he lied. Well, not exactly a lie, he was carrying a talisman of sorts on his belt, but they never did figure out exactly what it was supposed to do…

"Oh, okay!" The little girl snuggled under the blankets as her uncle crouched down to peer under the bed. The children's nightlight cast a dim glow throughout the room, providing just enough light to enable the merman to peer through the darkness.

"Hmm," he mused softly. Above his head, he heard Alana shift under the blankets. "There _is_ something down here, but it is not very big." The little girl let out a small gasp. "Actually, it's kind of squishy."

"Ew, gross! Don't let it eat you, Uncle Abe!"

"Shh," he admonished, slightly panicked at the thought of waking Tristan. The boy was terribly difficult when it came to bed time, and often used every excuse in the book to try to delay going to sleep. "Don't worry, darling." Abe reached into the darkness and grabbed the fuzzy little offender, who went along without a fight. "I don't think this _monster_ even has any teeth." As he spoke, he straightened up and looked into the monster's beady black eyes. "This is all I found," he announced softly.

"Duckie!" Alana gasped, her hands held out expectantly, all thoughts of fear forgotten. Abe handed over the plush animal, which his niece grabbed and pulled into a strangling hug. He smiled as she nuzzled her face affectionately into the soft, yellow fur.

"I guess he was just out a night patrol," he teased gently, "making sure everything is safe." Abe smoothed a hand over her tussled hair, bent over to kiss her forehead softly and then started to stand up.

"Uncle Abe, can you stay for a bit?" Inwardly, Abe sighed. He was already starting to feel fatigued once more, but who could resist those big, pleading eyes? Well, Liz often could… while loving and caring, she was also the no-nonsense parent, the disciplinarian. Hellboy, who was sometimes like a big kid himself, had much more trouble putting his foot down, but could still lay down the law if needed. The great thing about being an uncle, though, was that Abe could sometimes get away with spoiling the children, just a _little_ bit…

"Only for a bit," he stated, trying to be stern and failing. "But you have to try to go to sleep. It's very late." Alana nodded as Abe perched on the side of her little bed and tucked her blankets up around her chin. He rubbed her back softly, soothingly as she nestled her head on the pillow and settled Duckie by her side.

Abe wasn't sure how long he sat there for, watching Alana as she slept. Slowly, the soft, steady rhythm of her breathing lulled him, making his eyes feel heavy and his head feel fuzzy. Shaking his head to stave of sleep, the merman stood as gently as possible, wary of each movement. Above all else, he wanted to avoid waking anyone up again. He silently checked up on Tristan, gently straightening the blankets and tucking him in once more. Then he snuck out into the hallway and headed back to his tank.

Sighing blissfully as he lowered himself back into the warm water, Abe swam a lazy lap before arching his back and stretching his long limbs. Floating effortlessly, he closed his eyes and yawned. Somehow, after spending a bit of time with the children, the world seemed right again… how odd, considering how very depressed he had been after waking up. Such a simple, yet powerfully precious moment was a reminder of how much joy could be found in life.

Smiling slightly, and reflecting on pleasant memories, Abe eventually drifted off into a contended slumber.

**Once again, thanks to my nephew for the inspiration, and to Duckie for his guest appearance (and for keeping me company at 2am when my leg is hurting and everyone else is asleep).**


End file.
